Burial-vault.



J. P. W. FAWOETT.

BURIAL VAULT. APPLICATION FILED JULY 21,1909.

Patented July 11,1911;

2 SHEETS-SHEET Smnukoz Witmzooeo (LP. W. FAWGETT.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLICATION FIIEIED JULY 21,1909.

Patented July 11, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

511%" to: .il/fmzzii v I I (ltkovnmp I UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

JOHN F. W. FAWCET'I, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

BURIAL-VAULT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known thatI, J OHN F. W. FAwcE'r'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Burial-Vault, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in burial vaults, and the object of the invention is to provide a vault which will be free from joints which would admit the entrance of water or of roots and which will be durable and proof against tampering with the grave. This object and suchother incidental objects as will hereinafter appear are attained in the device set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the novel features of the same being pointed out in the appended claim.

p In the drawings, Figlirc l is a transverse section of a burial vault embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vault. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same, showing a asket therein. Fig. :4. is an enlarged detail section of a portion'of the vault and its cover, showing the joint between the same. Fig. 5 is a detail per spcctive view of the eye provided to facilitate the lowering of the vault into the grave, and Fig. (i is a detail perspective view ef a portion of one of the reinforcing bars. i I

A burial vault embodying my invention is preferably constructed of concrete or cementitious material and comprises a body portion 1 and afcover 2 formed in a suitable mold, of plastic material in which are embedded a plurality of metallic reinforcing bars 3 which may be of any desired formation, but are 1 rcferably solid metal bars provided with ri, s or spurs on their sides so as to be firmly anchored in the walls of the vault and tht body of the lid, as will be readily understood on referenceto the drawings. In order to attain the greatest possible strengtl the reinforcing bars are disposed longitudinally in the walls of the vault so as to extend entirely around the same and are also disposed transversely in the bottom of the vault. A plurality of the bars also are embedded in the cover and disposed transversely therein, as shown in Fig. 3.

The body of the vault is formed in a suitable mold. so as to consist of a single integral Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 21, 1909.

Patented July 11, 1911. Serial No. 508,701.

structure, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and with a longitudinal groove JG therein, the

edge of the cover being likewise provided with an inclined surface 7 and a longitudinal groove 8 in said surface. This construction provides a V-shaped chamber having grooves in its walls into which cement may be poured so as to firi'nly secure the cover and the body of the vault together, the result being thatrthe cover and the body become one continuous structure so that L there will be no oint to permit the entrance of roots of trees to cause a separation of the parts and cracking and destruction of the vault. Furthermore, by the provision of the interior shelf'or projection 4'and the V-shaped formation of the channel between the body and the cover I am enabled to provide a thick wall beyond the seat for the cover so that the liability of the body of the vault being cracked or broken along the upper edge before the cover secured in position is reduced to a minimum.

In the bottom of the body of the .vault and also in the cover I embed transverse bars 9, the ends of which are turned up ward, as indicated at 10, to reinforce the corners of the body and also to secure anchoragc in the plastic body, the intermediate portions of thesaid bar being provided with teeth or barbs 11 for. the same purpose. The said transverse barsare provided with upturned portions 12 which are riveted together, as indicated at 13, and these upturned portions are provided with perforations or openings 14 to .receive hooks or similar devices to facilitate the lowering of the vault intothe grave and the lowering of the cover into position on the body of the vault. In the upper surface of the bottom of the vault, T form recesses 15 to accommodate the ends of the suspending devices which are utilized to lower the vault in position and similar recesses or seats 16 are formedin the top of the coveraround the upturned portions of the transverse bars in the same the said recesses serving as guides to facilitate the engagement of the lowering ropes in the eyes.

From the foregoing description, it will readily be seen that I have providedaburial vault which will have a perfectly smooth outer surface, free of any angles or projections which are liable to be knocked off to the injury of the vault, thevault being entirely free of joints which are liable to admit water or permit the entrance of roots to cause a cracking of the vault and separation of the parts. It will be noted thatthe eyes for the attachment of the lowering devices are provided on the inside of the vault so that the said lowering device will not occupy a position between the vault and the wall of the grave, and thereby interfere with the rapid and easy lowering of the vault into its proper position, and also that the said eyes project above thefloor of the vault so as to form supports for the casket when the same is lowered thereinto whereby the straps employed for the lowering of the is presented between the two parts when the I cover is in position upon the body. This peculiar formation of the opening will permit a cementitious filling to pass readily to the bottom of the opening or chamber in stead of merely clogging up the upper end of the said chamber as is the .case in the constructions heretofore employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A burial vault comprising a plastic body provided in its upper face with recesses having concave bottoms, and reinforcing bars embedded in the plastic body and having portions doubled upon themselves and projecting abovev the upper face of the body transversely through the recesses" therein at the centers of the said recesses, the said up wardly projecting doubled portions of the re nforcing bars being secured together below the recesses and provided with pert'orations in theirexposed portions between the walls of the-recesses, the axes of the perfora tions extending longitudinally of the recessmz.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. W. FAWCETT.

lVitnesses E. I-IUME TALBERT, G. MILSTEAD. 

